Nightmares and Forgiveness
by Sara K M
Summary: After Maria leaves for the Abbey, Georg and Maria are both plagued by dreams that reveal their fears and learn the power of forgiveness
1. Georg's Dreams

Nightmares and Forgiveness

 **Disclaimer: I don't own** _ **The Sound of Music.**_

 _Georg found himself standing in the foggy courtyard of the Abbey. This was where Fraulein Maria was, correct? As suddenly as he thought of her, Fraulein Maria appeared in front of him, although it was so misty, he couldn't see her very clearly. "Fraulein Maria?" he asked, to make sure it was her._

" _Yes, of course, Captain," she replied in her sweet voice._

 _In the last couple of weeks, that voice always brought a smile to Georg's face. But now it made him scowl. Why was she so cheerful today? "What are you so happy? Don't you know how heartbroken you've made my children?" he snapped at her._

 _Fraulein Maria sighed. "I'm sorry, but I_ had _to leave."_

" _Why? Why did you have to leave now? Just when my life was finally good again, you disappear?" he protested, giving her one of his famous hard stares._

" _I belong_ here, _Captain. At the Abbey. My time with your family was temporary; you knew that. I'm going to be a nun very soon."_

 _With that, Fraulein Maria disappeared back into the fog. She was gone from his life._

Georg Von Trapp woke up in his bedroom and grumbled to himself. Fraulein Maria was gone. He knew that. He'd known since he'd found her note yesterday morning and the telephone call from the Reverend Mother later that day. As angry as it made him, he needed to accept it. He needed to help his children accept it. He forced the dream away from his mind.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

 _Georg was driving back to the Villa with Fraulein Maria sitting next to him. She was coming home with him! "I'm glad you have agreed to do the right thing, Fraulein," Georg commented, without looking at her. "You can be forgiven for your mistake." He still didn't like the way she'd left, but he'd tolerate if she was willing to make amends._

" _My Mistake?" she protested. "What about your mistakes?" Georg finally turned to look at her, only to notice she was covered in lake water again, which made her stunning figure even more obvious. "You know you shouldn't be looking at me that way, Captain." The look on her face reminded him of the last time he'd seen her covered in water. "After all, I will be a nun soon." Suddenly Fraulein Maria was wearing a nun's habit._

" _You should still come back home until September," Georg protested, hoping to have her with him…with his family for the rest of the summer, at least._

" _No," Fraulein Maria replied. "I'm afraid I cannot." And then she was gone again._

Georg Von Trapp woke up in his bedroom again. He'd been determined to block Fraulein Maria from his mind, but it was more difficult than he expected, especially at night. Georg _still_ couldn'tbelieve she'd left them like that, but now he wondered if there was some truth to his latest dream. Had he chased her away with the intensity of his stares? She was planning to be a nun, after all… It was no matter. Fraulein Maria was gone and the sooner he accepted it, the better. After all, Georg still needed to help his children handle her disappearance.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

 _Georg saw Fraulein Maria disappear out the door of the Villa and into the night. He rushed past the nameless guests, determined to catch her. "Fraulein!" he called as he shut the front door behind him._

 _But Fraulein Maria kept running ahead of him. She was already almost to the gate. That didn't surprise him; Georg knew how fast she could be when she wanted to be._

 _But Georg knew he could catch her if he tried hard enough. After all, he kept his body in excellent condition. More importantly, Georg didn't let anyone get away from him if he could help it. "Fraulein Maria!" he called again as he reached the gate. "You must return immediately!"_

 _She didn't even turn around._

" _Maria!" he called one last time, hoping that name would make her notice him. "Why are you leaving?"_

 _Maria continued running down the street._

Georg Von Trapp opened his eyes to see his bedroom again. The last dream had made everything perfectly clear: Maria didn't want anything to do with Georg anymore. That was why she left, after all. She wished to be a nun and she had returned to the abbey to peruse that goal. The talkative woman hadn't even contacted him since she left. Not even to ask about the children. Meanwhile, he was forced to pick up the pieces she'd left behind. He pounded his mattress a little at that. Georg couldn't get over how angry Maria had made him in the last week.

Georg looked around the bedroom for a second before his eyes landed on something, or rather _someone_ he didn't expect to see. Not here. "Marta?" What was she doing in his room? Gosh, had she seen his nightmare? Notice him pound his mattress? "What are you doing in here?" he snapped at her.

"I…I…wanted…to see you, Father," she replied, looking at the floor.

"Can't that wait until morning?" he asked her shortly. Georg was tired and these dreams weren't helping his state of mind.

Marta nodded and began walking back to the door slowly. "I wouldn't have come in at all Father, but…I had a nightmare. That you were gone, too, and I just had to see…make sure…I'm sorry."

She sniffed at the last line and Georg realized she had started crying. He suddenly felt horrible for dismissing her. _Of course_ Marta would have a reason for entering his suite. "It's all right, Marta. Come here, Sweetheart." He sat up in his bed and held out his arms for his daughter.

Marta looked at him with a mix of shock and gratitude and crossed the bedroom quickly. It took her a few minutes to manage to climb onto his bed, but she managed. Then she cuddled right into his arms. "With Fraulein Maria gone…It's so hard." Sniff, sniff, sniff. "And then I dreamed you were gone, too, and I…" Marta's voice trailed off as she began sobbing into her father's chest.

Georg hugged his daughter tightly. "I know it's hard, Marta." If Maria were standing in front of him, he would certainly give her a piece of his mind. How could she? "But I'm _not_ going to leave you, all right? Ever. I'm your father, and I will always be your father. I'm trying to act like a good one now."

Marta nodded but she continued to sob. However, within five minutes, she had fallen asleep on Georg's chest. He carefully picked her up and carried her back to her room. As he did so, he wondered what he should do. _No one_ in the Von Trapp family was handling this situation. Georg needed to fix things. For all of them. And focusing on how angry he was at Maria wasn't helping anyone. All it was doing was making it more difficult for him to sleep.

Elsa was still hinting she would like a proposal. Very soon. If he proposed, all of his family could put Maria behind them and become a real family. He and Elsa made a good match, after all. Georg could show everyone that Maria leaving didn't bother him at all. And as he put Marta gently back in her bed, he was determined to prove that was the case. He would talk to Elsa tonight.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Georg poured himself a drink and sat down to relax in the black chair in his study. He was still smiling at the exchange between him and the children several minutes ago. Berry – picking? Blue strawberries? His children could definitely make him laugh. Or at least chuckle. It was nice that the mood at the villa was improving. Georg knew he'd made a good decision when he'd proposed to Elsa. Maria didn't matter…at…all…

"…These are a few of my favorite things…" he heard the children continue to sing from outside. Wait, was it his imagination or could he hear another voice as well? A beautiful voice that he just had to investigate…

Sure enough, his children were crowding around _Maria_ as it seemed they all wanted a chance to touch her. Georg stared at her for a minute, in shock to see her back again. As upset as they were that she'd left, the children didn't seem to be angry at her at all. And she seemed to be just as eager to see them, accepting every hug with her famous warm smiles. For the last week Georg had believed if he ever saw Maria again, he would scream at her. Ask her how she dared leave his children like that? How could she not contact him _at all_? How could she disappear when he was finally happy again? But Georg didn't expect her to look so beautiful, so joyful, as she greeted his children. He didn't expect her voice to draw him out of his study like he was in a trance. Perhaps if the children could forgive her he could, too?

"Look Father, Fraulein Maria's back from the Abbey!"

"That's wonderful," he told the children. "Now go get your dinner." The children rushed off, just as he knew they would, leaving Maria and him alone together. It was perfect time to talk.

Georg turned and looked her in the eye. "You didn't even say goodbye. Not even to the children," he said, trying to sound accusing. Still, he was too surprised to find her beautiful face in front of him again. But he couldn't let it go completely.

Maria looked right back at him, although without a smile. "That was a mistake. Forgive me?" She sounded just as sad as the children had been that she'd left.

Georg thought about how easy it seemed that the children forgave her. How easily they forgave _him_ for his atrocious behavior towards them in the last few years. And the reality was it was possible Maria left partly because of him. Had he made her uncomfortable with the way he looked at her? Whatever the reason, she had returned and asked for forgiveness. Of course Georg could forgive Maria. He was beginning to think he could forgive her for anything.

Just as he was about to tell her so, Elsa walked outside and took his arm. "Isn't it wonderful, Georg? Fraulein Maria has come back!"

Elsa. A person who seemed like the answer to all his troubles earlier suddenly seemed like a complication.

"I hear congratulations are in order. The children tell me you are to be married," Maria commented.

Her voice sounded neutral, but something in her tone wasn't right. Her smile didn't light up her face the way it normally did. Was Maria… _upset_? Maria was ordinarily so cheerful, so her being upset wasn't appropriate. Not at all. In fact, the very idea that she might be upset was painful to him. Was there something Georg could do to make her feel better? He would fix whatever the problem was.

First he needed to know whether she was staying. "You are back to stay?" Georg asked, almost afraid of her answer. She was staying at home, with him, right? He reached over to take her hand without thinking about it. They belonged together.

But Maria disappeared before he could do that. "Only until arrangements can be made for another governess," she replied firmly.

As Maria went inside, Georg suddenly realized Elsa was still clutching his arm. Elsa. Could Maria _actually_ be upset because of Elsa? Or was that too much to hope for? Still if there was even a possibility, Georg needed to straighten things out with Elsa. He'd asked Elsa to marry him for all the wrong reasons anyway. He'd proposed because he was angry at Maria for leaving and he wanted to show everyone Maria didn't matter to him. Now that Maria had returned and he'd forgiven her, Georg realized how ridiculous that was. Maria would _always_ matter. She was one of the most important people in the world, as far as he was concerned. He was in love with Maria.

 **I'm still not comfortable with writing Georg by myself, but I decided to post this as it was.**


	2. Maria's Dreams

Maria's Dreams

 **Disclaimer: I don't own** _ **The Sound of Music.**_

 **When I posted the first chapter of this, I intended it to be a one – shot. But several readers and my own muse decided there should be a couple more chapters. Don't expect this to happen very often, though. Most of my one – shots stay one – shots.**

 **Warning: This chapter has some discussion of God and Catholic rituals. I apologize if this bothers you, but I will remind you that Maria's faith is a big part of her character.**

 _Maria knew she had to hurry if she was going to leave the Villa without anyone seeing her. The party was occupying almost everyone's attention, of course. And the children were already in their beds. Still, all it would take was one person to notice her. Then she wouldn't be able to leave quietly. Quietly was the best way. Furthermore, whoever tried to stop her would probably alert the Captain that she was leaving._

 _She finished packing her carpet bag with all her essentials. Maria briefly glanced at the beautiful dresses in the closet, then she shook her head. She didn't have time to pack all of those as well. Not if she wanted to leave without trouble. Those dresses weren't suited for a nun, anyway. And a nun was what Maria was supposed to be._

 _Maria picked up her guitar with one hand and her carpet bag with the other and left the bedroom, trying not to make any noise as she did so. She placed the note she left in the front hall, where someone was sure to see it tomorrow._

 _But before she could open the outside door, the Captain was suddenly standing in the way. "Where are you going, Fraulein?" he demanded, giving her one of his hard stares._

 _Although Maria knew those looks were designed to intimidate people, she usually wasn't frightened by the Captain. Certainly not after become better acquainted with him over the last couple of weeks. Tonight, however, seeing his face scared her quite a bit. How could she explain why she had to leave?_

 _Even now, though seeing him made Maria nervous, she still noticed how handsome his face was. She remembered how wonderful it was to dance in his arms. Was the Baroness correct? Was Maria in love with him? How could she betray God by falling in love? She opened her mouth to tell the Captain she had to return to the Abbey before things became worse, but no sound came out._

" _Fraulein. Tell me,_ what _are you doing?" He ordered. "Come on, I know how much you like to talk."_

 _Maria opened her mouth again, but she was still unable to speak. He was right of course. Normally she liked to talk. She talked about the children and the activities they did, she talked about books they read, she talked about her faith, and anything else she could think of to anyone willing to listen. Maria had to admit in the last couple of weeks, the Captain had become one of her favorite people to speak to. What made them even better was that he seemed to find them as enjoyable as she did._

 _But tonight, Maria was so confused, so frightened about what was happening to her that it appeared she couldn't speak_ at all _._

" _Maria," The Captain pressed again. "I_ need _to know is happening. Why do you look like you are leaving us?" He punched one of his hands in the air, which Maria knew meant he was becoming angrier. She should explain things to him quickly before his guests noticed their argument._

 _Because I am nothing but trouble, Maria thought to herself. I'm a bad example for your children, acting inappropriately with you. Because being around you too confusing for me. Because this can't bet my home. The Abbey is where I am supposed to be. But once again, Maria opened her mouth and no sound came out._

Maria opened her eyes and looked around her postulant's bedroom again. The sun was peaking in through the window, so she assumed it was early morning. Maria knew she would hear the church bells soon enough. She quickly dressed, determined not to be late for chapel today. Since she had returned, Maria tried desperately to follow the rules of the Abbey, in order to prove that she belonged here. She hadn't even spent time on her mountain in the last couple of days, even though the weather was perfect for it.

As Maria headed for the chapel, she knew her dream had only made it more obvious that she couldn't return to the Von Trapps, as much as she still missed them. How could she ever face the Captain again? How could she explain what had happened, especially when it barely made sense to her? Was she in love with him or did she just lust after him? Would seeing him make it impossible for Maria to talk?

She reached the chapel just as the bells began to ring.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

 _Maria felt the Captain's warm arms around her as they danced. They made her feel safe and excited at the same time. Then Maria began twirling around and around, and she was surprised by how light she felt. Usually this portion of the dance made her uncomfortable, because the twirls had to be done correctly or she could fall over. But now Maria felt so happy, her feet were almost off the floor._

 _As she looked down, Maria noticed her feet_ were _indeed off the floor, and she and the Captain were dancing alone, in the clouds. Maria realized that she liked this intimate setting for their dance, although she wasn't sure what that meant. As she touched him and the Captain took her back into his arms, Maria decided this made her happier than twirling did. In fact, as she looked at his handsome face and felt his breath on her face, she thought she'd be happy to stay in his arms forever…_

 _As their faces inched closer, Maria and the Captain were suddenly back in the garden outside his home. Before they touched, Sister Berthe suddenly pulled them apart. "Maria you know lust is one of the seven deadly sins. This behavior is unacceptable. Now – "_

" – _Kiss the floor," Maria finished, kneeling down to do so. She was used to this command from Sister Berthe, but the shame from this experience was worse than normal._

 _As she finished and stood back up, the Reverend Mother stared at Maria with disproval in her eyes for several moments. "Maria, you have promised yourself to God. You cannot be conducting yourself like this. This wasn't what I expected of you when I sent you to this household."_

 _Maria looked down at the floor. She couldn't bear to see the disapproval in the Reverend Mother's face again. It was far worse than all of Sister Berthe's commands to kiss the floor combined. Still, both of the nuns were correct. What was Maria doing, dancing with the Captain, thinking she'd like to stay in his arms forever, wanting to touch her lips with his…?_

 _As Sister Berthe and the Reverend Mother disappeared, Maria realized the children were still watching. They had seen everything. And their mouths were open, obviously in shock. She knew they must be ashamed of her as well. How could she be in charge of seven children when she behaved in such a manner? In front of them?_

Maria woke up in her prostulant's bed again, still suffering from the shame from her dream. This one was even worse than the last. After all, in this dream she wasn't just unable to talk to the Captain, she was scolded by both Sister Berthe and the Reverend Mother for her behavior. In front of the children. She wasn't at all surprised to have woken up in the middle of the night because of this nightmare. She had hoped that returning to the Abbey would make it clear to God that she was done lusting after the Captain and she knew her place was here. But since God continued to give her these dreams, she must need more repentance.

Maria knew, ultimately that the way to repent was to go to Confession, but she wasn't ready to share her sins with anyone yet, even a priest. They were too private. So she continued to pray to God herself. Maria knelt next to her bed, and stared at the crucifix on her wall, which she could just make out from the moonlight coming into her window. The she began " _Oh my God, I am heartily sorry I offended thee…"_

As she prayed, she tried not to think of how desperately she wished the Captain's arms were around her, even now.

OOOOOOOOOOO

 _Gretl snuggled closer to Maria. It was raining again this afternoon, so Maria agreed to read to the children. The older ones quickly lost interest in the story, but Marta was still listening. And Gretl herself would_ never _tire of her favorite story,_ Hansel and Gretel. "… _and the old woman grabbed Hansel and locked him in a cage!" Maria exclaimed, continuing with the story._

 _Marta shuttered. Although the story was familiar, she didn't seem to like this part very much. She immediately climbed onto the chair and wiggled herself on the other side of her governess. Maria wrapped her arms around both girls protectively and began reading again. "….and Gretel pushed the witch into the oven and shut the door tight so the witch could not get out."_

 _Gretl sat up straight. "I bet_ I _could push a mean old witch into the oven, too!" she commented proudly._

 _Marta sighed. Maria had a feeling the other girl had heard this before. Many times. "I think you could both push a witch into the oven if you had too, especially if she was threatening one of your brothers or sisters," she told them, before Marta could complain._

 _Both girls looked at their governess hopefully. "Really?" they asked together._

" _Yes. I know you're both brave and you both love your family a lot," she told them firmly. Maria had never met any other children with more affection for their siblings. And the more she became acquainted with them, the more she realized how brave they were. Even Marta was becoming more confident all the time. Maria supposed they were just like their father in that respect._

"… _and Hansel and Gretel finally arrived home and embraced their parents, promising never to leave again. So they lived happily ever after."_

 _As Maria finished the story, both girls hugged her tight. "I wish you could stay with us forever, Fraulein Maria," Gretl commented. "That this could be your home, too. Then I could live happily ever after like the Gretel in the story."_

" _Me, too," Marta added, still hugging her governess._

" _I wish that, too," Maria almost said out loud. Taking care of these wonderful children, being part of this household, gave her more joy than she thought possible. Come it be home?_

 _And suddenly Maria was home. The Captain's warm hands were wrapped around her from behind, and everything was perfect. She began caressing wonderful hands with hers. Yes, this was how it was supposed to be…_

 _Out of nowhere, Maria heard a voice come from somewhere. The voice boomed, "Maria, this isn't your home. You promised to serve only me!"_

Maria woke up in the Abbey in her postulant's room, again. As horrible as the dream from the previous nights were, this one was the worst. In this dream, she hadn't just been lusting after the Captain, she'd been thinking of making his home her own. She had even considered _the Captain's arms_ her home. And instead of being reprimanded by Sister Berthe and the Reverend Mother, in this dream she was shouted at by what Maria could only assume was God. It had been a long time since she'd cried, but now tears began to fall from her eyes.

The worst part of this situation was that those were all thoughts she'd actually had before leaving for the Abbey. Maria knew she'd promised to dedicate her life to God. She knew they Abbey should be her home for always. But somehow, at the villa, she'd let herself be distracted from her calling. How could she make amends to God? Another Act of Contrition? As Maria wiped more tears from her eyes, she decided that prayer wasn't the answer tonight.

Instead, she lit the lantern near her bed and picked up her Bible. She needed to hear from God directly. In the dim light, reading was more difficult, but Maria found she didn't mind. It caused the scripture to seem even more sacred than normal. Almost like a special language written by God just for her. If she read it, Maria would certainly understand how to live for God.

OOOOOOOOOOO

The Reverend Mother looked at Maria with affection as they began talking in her office a couple of days later. "I'm sorry. You have been unhappy. Why did they send you back to us?"

Maria didn't like admitting this, but she could not allow the woman to think it had been the Von Trapps' decision that she leave. "They didn't send me back, Mother. I – I left," she confessed.

"Sit down, Maria. Tell me what happened," she instructed her charge gently. Maria sat down in one of the available chairs.

"Well, I – I was frightened." It wasn't easy for her to speak of these things to the Reverend Mother, but Maria was trying her best.

"Frightened? Were they unkind to you?" the Mother asked, sounding a little worried for the first time.

Maria hurried to correct the misconception. "Oh, no! I – I – was confused. I'd never felt that way before. I knew here I'd be away from it. I'd be…safe."

"Maria, our Abbey is not to be used as an escape. What is it you can't face?"

"Him. I can't face him again," she finally admitted. What was the Mother going to think of her when she realized what Maria's thoughts were about that man?

"Captain Von Trapp? Are you in love with him?"

Maria wondered why the Reverend Mother immediately came to that decision. How could she explain this? "I don't know! The Baroness said I was. She – she said that he was in love with me too, but I didn't want to believe it. Oh there were times when we would look at each other…Oh, Mother I could hardly breathe." An image of the Captain's face as he sang Edelweiss appeared in Maria's mind.

"Did you let him see how you felt?"

"If I did, I didn't know it. That's what's been torturing me. I was there on God's errand. To ask for his love would have been wrong. Oh, I couldn't stay. I just couldn't. I am ready, at this moment to take my vows. Please help me." Surely the Reverend Mother could understand that Maria knew what her mistake was?

"Maria, you cannot take make that kind of commitment when your heart longs for another. The love of a man and woman is holy, too. You have a great capacity to love. What you need to find out is how God wants you to spend your love."

What did the Reverend Mother mean? God wasn't disappointed because she had fallen in love? "But I pledged my life to God. I – pledged my life to his service," Maria protested, confused.

"My daughter, just because you love this man doesn't mean you love God any less." Maria stopped listening for a second as she let the relief wash over her. God wasn't disappointed in her? He didn't think Maria was rejecting Him because she had given her heart to someone else? She didn't need God's forgiveness for wishing to make her home with the Von Trapps? Maria felt like a load of bricks were suddenly being lifted from her back.

Then suddenly Maria heard the rest of what the Reverend Mother had to say. "You must find out. You must go back."

Maria certainly wasn't ready for that! What if she saw the Captain and was unable to say anything at all, like in her dream? For Maria, who normally chirped more often than a cricket, not being able to talk _at all_ was a horrible fate. "Oh, no Mother, don't make me go back!"

"Maria these walls weren't built so you could shut out your problems. You have find the life you were meant to live!" The Reverend Mother scolded her. It was interesting. Maria was so certain the Mother would be disappointed in her for developing feelings for Captain Von Trapp. But it seemed she was more disappointed in Maria because she couldn't bring herself to return to Von Trapp Villa. Still, seeing the Reverend Mother's disappointment in her was no easier in real life than it was in her dream.

And then the old woman began to sing. A beautiful song about climbing mountains and following rainbows instead of living in fear. A song about self – discovery. Maria had never been more moved than she was at that moment. For she knew the Reverend Mother rarely sang outside the cathedral. She was always telling Maria she sang too much. But now, the Reverend Mother sang a special song just for her. Because she knew the best way to reach Maria was through singing. By the end of the song, Maria knew she needed to return to Von Trapp Villa.

OOOOOOOOOOO

As Maria climbed onto the bus, she felt more at peace than she had in a week. God didn't intend for her to be a nun. He never did. He meant for Maria to serve him in other ways. That was the message He had been trying to give her. She looked forward to seeing all the Von Trapps as she tried to discover what those ways were. Maria wondered if Fiedrich had taken the boat out again like he had wanted to. She wondered how many books Brigitta had read in the past week. She wondered if Marta and Gretl's smiles were still as cute as she remembered. Most of all Maria wondered about the Captain. Could he possibly be in love with her or was it too much to hope for? Would he take her in his arms again like he had done when they danced? It was nice to know Maria didn't need God's forgiveness for giving her heart to someone else.

One thing she did need forgiveness was the way she'd left without completing her service, though. When Maria thought of how she abandoned those poor, motherless children, her heart broke. And what about the Captain? Had he returned to his former ways with Maria gone? She could only hope the Von Tapps would forgive Maria for running off like that.

 **The next chapter will be the one several of my readers were interested in. Georg and Maria will talk to each other about their nightmares.**

 **Please give me some reviews for this chapter. And as always, my policy for reviews is for them to be honest, whether they are good, bad, or a little of both. Thank you for the reviews from the first one.**

 **Some of you have already received responses for the first chapter, because I wasn't sure if there were going to be more chapters at that point. But normally, I prefer to respond to all of my reviews for multi – chapter stories at the end of the next chapter. So here's your responses.**

 **Kimberly: Glad you liked the first chapter. And thank you for the idea of adding a chapter where they talk about their nightmares.**

 **Guest: Glad you thought the first chapter was one of my best, and thank you for your ideas on how to make it better. I decided to go in a different direction for fixing it, though. But if you have other ideas on how to make my chapters and stories better, feel free to tell me. Sometimes I do agree.**

 **Jasmine: I'm glad you thought I did well writing the Captain and that you liked that he was angry. I agree, the ending was wonderful.** **And thank you for your ideas on how to make the first chapter better. I have added a sentence about how he'll always** _ **forgive**_ **Maria, and that's kind of like your suggestion. Hope you like it.**

 **Callumrogers: Glad you think I did well with writing Captain, and I hope you enjoy the chapter where they discuss their nightmares.**

 **Bloomandgrow: Glad you think I did well with writing Georg and that you agree he would be angry at her for leaving. Also glad that you liked my explanation why he proposed to Elsa. Here's another chapter.**

 **Lemacd: Glad you loved the first chapter so much and that you noticed the parallels between his dreams (her disappearing in every one) and her return (he can convince her to stay).**

 **Margery: Well, you got your wish. Here's more.**

 **Maria: I'm glad you thought I did well writing Georg.**

 **All reviews for the next chapter will receive responses at the end of the last chapter. If anyone is uncomfortable receiving a public review, you can always give me one in a PM.**


	3. Epilogue: Talk

Epilogue: Talk

 **Disclaimer: I don't own** _ **The Sound of Music**_ **.**

 **I had a lot of trouble deciding when to place this scene. As I had told a couple of you before, I didn't want to re – write the gazebo scene because it's been done so often already. But I also didn't want write this as if it takes place during their engagement. I'm still** _ **trying**_ **to write "Love Past and Present" about that period, and I don't want to contradict myself. So in the end, I decided to write this scene as if it takes place** _ **directly**_ **after the gazebo scene fades in the movie. Hope you enjoy.**

For several minutes Maria and the Captain were aware of only each other as they kissed and caressed. Maria had thought nothing was more wonderful than being in his arms. But that was before he started kissing her. Yes, kissing was perfect. Although the way the Captain was touching her bare arms and stroking her hair…Maria liked that a lot as well. She really did love his hands.

In fact, his caresses made her eager to touch him as well. As they continued kissing, Maria began rubbing the back of _her Captain_ 's neck and even into his hair. Soon after that, though, the Captain backed away from her. "We should be careful, Maria," he told her.

Maria's eyes widened as she realized what he meant. "Of course. I'm sorry," she whispered, ashamed.

The Captain gave her a gentle smile and wrapped one of his arms around her. "It was just as much my fault as it was yours. We'll _both_ have to be careful in the future."

"I suppose," Maria agreed.

"Let me bring you back inside," her Captain suggested, looking around as if he suddenly realized where they were. "It's later than I thought."

"Do we have to?" Maria protested, not wanting this wonderful night to end yet. Then she looked around as well, for the first time noticing how dark it was now. "I mean…" she continued, as she yawned, despite herself. She had forgotten how tired she'd been.

"It looks like you might be tired, darling," her Captain scolded her gently. "You need to go to bed. Tomorrow will be busy for both of us."

It took Maria a minute to respond, she was so surprised by the way he called her "darling." The Captain and the Baroness had called each other that frequently. But somehow, it sounded more intimate when he said it to Maria. But finally she realized she was being told this night had to end again. "No, really I'm fine," she objected, resisting him as he tried to guide her out of the gazebo and back to the house.

"Maria," the Captain chuckled, shaking his head. "I know you don't like to be told what to do, but it really is in your best interest to listen to me this time."

But Maria shook her head as well. "Just a little longer please. The only reason why I'm a little tired is because of the nightmares I've had this past week, anyway." Realizing what she had said, Maria put her hand over her mouth. She hadn't meant to reveal that. Not now.

But her Captain stopped short and turned back into the gazebo. "Nightmares? Were they terrible? Would you like to tell me about them?"

"Oh, no, that's not necessary," Maria replied. He certainly wouldn't be interested in all her silly fears. "They don't matter anymore."

Her Captain looked at her for a moment, as if he were trying to decide something. Then he took Maria's hand and helped her sit on one of the benches. At least it looked as if Maria would get her wish: more time with him. "Would it help if I told you that… _I_ had some nightmares in the past few days as well?" He squeezed her hand gently as he spoke.

Maria looked at him in surprise. Her strong, proud, brave Captain had nightmares? "You did?"

"Yes. They were all about you leaving, one way or another. Sometimes I'd go to see you and you'd disappear. Sometimes I'd call after you and you kept running away from me." Maria's heart broke as she realized how much she'd hurt him by leaving like that. Slowly, she reached up and caressed his upper arm, trying to comfort him.

"I'd wake up angry at you for leaving. Leaving the children…Leaving me."

"I'm sorry," Maria told him, looking right into his eyes. "I won't leave again. I promise."

"I know. I forgive you. I'll always forgive you, Maria." He leaned over and kissed her again, carefully so they wouldn't get too carried away.

"In one of my dreams, you caught me before I left and asked me why I was leaving," Maria admitted. "I was unable to speak at all to reply."

Her Captain's eyes widened. "Yes, I can see why that would bother you. You always have _something_ to say."

Maria nodded. "Yes. I couldn't think of anything worse than not being able to say anything to you, of all people. Until this evening when I returned and found you engaged…to the Baroness." She said the last part without thinking, as usual. But the look on his face made Maria regret it immediately. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." She never wanted to express anything that would make him that upset.

Her Captain stroked her cheek. "No, Maria, I told you, I _want_ you to confide in me. Even when it hurts to hear it a little. I never should have proposed to Elsa. I know that now. It was unfair to you, and me, and Elsa herself. But I thought with you gone…I don't know, that it was something I needed to do."

Maria nodded, remembering several hours earlier, when she felt she _needed_ to take the holy orders as soon as possible. "Another one of my dreams was about you and I, dancing the landler."

"Pardon me, but I don't see why that experience would constitute a nightmare," her Captain replied. "The way _I_ remember it, that dance was a very pleasant experience," he added dryly.

Did he think she hadn't enjoyed dancing with him? "Oh, no it was wonderful!" Maria assured her captain, smiling at the memory. "That was the problem. I _shouldn't_ have been dancing with you, not like that, anyway. I didn't think it was right for me to be feeling those things, especially for you. So in my dream, Sister Berthe and the Reverend Mother saw me dancing with you and lectured me how inappropriate I was being."

Her Captain wrapped one of his arms around her and pulled her closer to him on the bench. "I'm sorry I put you in that position. I know how important they are to you, especially the Reverend Mother."

Maria shook her head firmly. "I'm not sorry. Not anymore. I loved dancing with you, and the Reverend Mother told I shouldn't feel ashamed of my feelings for you. She said God…approves of our relationship, I think." That's what the Mother was trying explain to Maria earlier, right?

Her Captain smiled and squeezed his arm around her. "I'm glad to hear that. I know how important that is to you."

Maria's heart soared, glad to hear that God's approval was important to him as well. Then she rested her head against his shoulder again, inhaling the smell of his cologne. After a few moments, he wrapped his other arm around her waist as well, although it was slightly awkward as they were still sitting on the bench. Maria didn't mind. She thought his kisses were perfect before, but the feeling of his arms around her after they told each other their troubles…it was indescribable. It was home, and it was exactly where she was supposed to be.

Eventually, her Captain moved, much to Maria's disappointment. "We do need to go to bed, darling," he told her gently, standing up again.

Maria resisted again for a second, but then she yawned once again. "I suppose you are right, Captain," she replied standing up as well. They were going to have to sleep eventually, although she still didn't want to leave him.

But the Captain shook his head. "I know this isn't time for another in – depth discussion, but I think you should call by my first name now. If we're going to be married, than I'm not going to pretend to be your superior anymore. If I ever was, that is," he added with a chuckle.

Maria laughed at his gentle teasing, even though she couldn't imagine him being anything other than Her Captain. She held tightly to Her Captain's hand as they walked through the grounds towards the house.

 **Thanks for the reviews from chapter two. I'd love it if you could give me a review for chapter three and/or the story as whole. Since I can't respond at the end of the next chapter this time, I'll try to give responses through PMs.**

 **Here's the responses for chapter two.**

 **Callumrogers: Perfect? Really? Thank you. It was important for me to show that Maria wasn't just afraid of disappointing the nuns, but ultimately God. I thought that last dream sequence was the best way to show that. However, I have to say I was a little nervous about people misunderstanding it. I think that in the story, God was only upset at Maria** _ **in her mind**_ **, and He wouldn't actually yell at her like that. But as a person who really believes God** _ **can**_ **speak to a person through dreams, I was a little nervous about people thinking I misinterpreted Him in that scene.**

 **Bloomandgrow: I'm glad you think I wrote the dream sequences so well. They were a lot of fun to write.**

 **Honestly, I think Maria's religious torment** _ **is**_ **in the movie. The problem is, it's only implied, rather than stated directly, so it's very easy for people to overlook. I find it ironic that I sometimes I read more religious/faith based stories in the** _ **Twilight**_ **fandom than I do in the SOM fandom, even though there's more faith and religion in SOM canon. I wish there were more here, but I suppose a lot of people are uncomfortable with writing it. Sorry, I'm digressing. Glad you liked the chapter, anyway.**

 **Lemacd: Yes, Maria was very confused. I think with Maria, you have to understand that even though she didn't really "fit in" at the Abbey, she** _ **did**_ **want to be a nun, and more importantly she really believed** _ **God**_ **wanted her to be a nun. Of course, the RM is more objective and recognizes that although all people are meant to serve God, there are many different ways to do it. Honestly, regardless of the fact that Maria was obviously happier in the end with the Von Trapps than with the nuns, I think God knew she could do more being a part of their family than she could as a nun.**


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